East Texas A&M Lions football
| East Texas A&M Lions football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1915 | ||
| Head coach | Clint Dolezel 3rd season, 7–27 (.206) | ||
| Location | Commerce, Texas | ||
| Stadium | Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium (capacity: 13,500) | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Southland | ||
| Colors | Blue and gold | ||
| All-time record | 542–435–30 (.553) | ||
| Bowl record | 18–8–2 (.679) | ||
| NCAA Division II championships | |||
| 2017 | |||
| NAIA national championships | |||
| NAIA Division I: 1972 | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| LSC: 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1983, 1990, 2014, 2015, 2016 | |||
| Conference division championships | |||
| LSC North: 2007, 2009 | |||
| Rivalries | Tarleton State Texas A&M–Kingsville West Texas A&M | ||
| Mascot | Lucky the Lion | ||
| Marching band | Pride Marching Band | ||
| Website | LionAthletics.com | ||
The East Texas A&M Lions football team (formerly the East Texas State Lions and the Texas A&M–Commerce Lions) is the college football program representing East Texas A&M University. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I FCS of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Prior to joining the Southland, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The East Texas A&M football team plays its home games at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. On December 16, 2017, East Texas A&M (then A&M-Commerce) won its first NCAA Division II national championship, by defeating West Florida, 37–27, in Kansas City. The Lions recorded a perfect record in 1934, won the NAIA National Championship in 1972, and have amassed a total of 24 LSC conference championships since joining as a charter member in 1931. On September 28, 2021, the university accepted an invitation from the Southland Conference, moving the university's athletics programs up to the NCAA Division I level. This ended a 90-year affiliation with the Lone Star Conference, as East Texas A&M was the last founding member remaining. The football team began competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level starting with the 2022 season.
The school, which has fielded football teams since 1915, has produced numerous National Football League players, including Autry Beamon, Dee Mackey, Harvey Martin, Alan Veingrad, Dwight White, and Wade Wilson.
The program is currently coached by Clint Dolezel.